Lyme Disease

Lyme disease is an illness that may affect the skin, joints, nervous system, heart, and other areas of the body. People of all ages can get Lyme disease, which is caused by the bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi. The bacteria are transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected deer tick. The deer tick (Ixodes scapularis) is also called the black legged tick.

Signs and Symptoms

Recognizing the early signs and symptoms of Lyme disease is important.

If you have one or more of these signs and symptoms within 3 to 30 days after a deer
tick bite or spending time in wooded areas where deer ticks are present, see your physician immediately.

Spotlight

Blacklegged tick (deer tick) life stages next to a metric ruler. The adult ticks (two ticks at the left) are approximately 1/8 of an inch long, while the nymph (third from left) is just under 1/16 of an inch.